St. Hilarion Castle
Castle, which took its name from a runaway saint who lived and died in the top of the mountain after the capture of Jerusalem by the Arabs, included a church and monastery in the 10th century. It is achain of castles that were built as observations point in order to protect the island from Arab pirates. Later, from the end of 12th century until the capture of Venetians, this castle was enlarged and used as shelter to protect Luzinyen nobles from excessive summer heat.
Afterwards, this castle was left to its own fate. This church consists of three main sections each having its own cisterns and provision storerooms. The lower castle was built for soldiers and horses, the second section for the church and the king's palace, and after an upward slope the upper castle was built. It is at 730 meters height and known as Prince John Tower. From two Gothic engravedwindows at the western side that the nobles lived, the bird's eye view of Girne and Karmi village is magnificent. When the weather is clear, the snowy summits of Toros Mountains can be seen.
The actual history of St. Hilarion Castle begins in 1228, when Giovanni (Jean) d'lbelin, Regent of the Kingdom of Cyprus, converted the then existing Orthodox monastery to the purpose of a fortified retreat where the young King Henry I., his family, and partisans could take refuge from their opponents the supporters of the imperial pretensions of the great Frederick 11.But the following year the Imperialists obtained possession of the newly built castle, and Giovanni d'lbelin found himself constrained to lay siege to his own buildings. On this occasion the castle was defended by the celebrated Philippe Chinard, a native of Cyprus of French parents, who afterwards became famous as the builder of some of Frederick II's Apulian castles.
In 1230 the castle, then in Imperialist hands, was besieged by the Royalists, with whom was the famous Philippo di Novara, soldier, poet, and writer of philosophical works.
On this occasion occurred the incident, recorded in 'Les Gestes des Chiprois' (one of his works), of his lying wounded by an arrow, on the rocks acing the castle, and improvising satires and verses very much to the annoyance of the garrison on the walls.
In 1232 the castle, which had been secured by the Royalists, became the residence of the sisters of Henry I., and was once more besieged by the Imperialists under the command of Count Filangeri. The young king who was absent in Beirut, hurried back with a Syrian army provided by d'lbelin, and attacking the Imperialists in the pass of St. Catherine routed them completely arid thus secured the future integrity of his kingdom (15 June, 1232). In 1348, King Hugh IV. retired to Hilarion to avoid the plague then raging in the island.
The next time the castle figures in history is a few years later when again it afforded a refuge to the representatives of royalty suffering from the Genoese invasion. Prince John of Antioch, uncle of the young King Peter 11.,who here took up his abode in 1373, proved however to be a madman, and after murdering his faithful Bulgarian mercenaries in the castle, he himself was murdered on his return to Nicosia by his sister-in-law, Queen Eleanor.
With the changed manner of warfare, and other circumstances of the times, the mountain castles of Hilarion, Buffavento and Kantara, fell into disuse and they cease to be recorded in the chronicles after the XIVth century; a hundred years later they were deemed a danger to the kingdom by the possibility of their falling into the hands of watchful enemies on the opposite coast.
The dismantling and destruction of the Castle of Hilarion, as well as the other medieval fortresses of the kingdom, is attributed to the parsimony of the first Venetian Proveditore of the island, Francesco di Priuli (c. 1489)
Description
The remains may be divided into three sections which represent the three lines of defence. All three portions present the appearance of having been built about the same time (with perhaps the exception of the main entrance), which according to the chroniclers was during the struggle between Imperialists and Royalists in 1228-1232.
A small Byzantine monastery existed on the site previous to the building of the castle in the XIIIth century, and of this the church was preserved entire, and also a portion of a wall or range of buildings on the north side.
Section 1:
The outer enceinte and barbican enclosing a large area which constituted a bailey. Owing to its remarkable site the outer defences are naturally without any moat. The barbican was a comparatively small outwork and was closed with a mere gate without drawbridge or portcullis. Within this the main gate of the enceinte, surmounted by a semi-circular arch, was likewise unprovoked with the usual drawbridge or portcullis. A mere wooden door afforded an entrance, but above it are four brackets of a machicoulis. At this point are preserved the only architectural features of the castle which afford some clue to date. The brackets of the machicoulis are each decorated with a different sculptured device. Amongst them is a very curious representation of a lady's head with the curious horned head-dress of the XVth century.
The enceinte is planned to enclose the whole summit of the mountain (2,386 ft. above sea level). Starting from the deep and precipitous valley on the east it climbs round the enclosure, of the bailey up the side of the valley on the south and joins on to the horizontal portion which crowns the top of the position. The length of this remarkable wall is about a quarter of a mile. In its length it has nine towers or semi-circular projections, spaced at a great distance from each other – it is in fact little more than a mere enclosure and is built of indifferent rubble masonry. The mortar used in its construction is of lime and the hard stone of the mountain, which seems to have been pounded roughly for the purpose. This outer portion is of the XVth century.
Section 2:
The Main Guard. Passing through the bailey (which may also have constituted a village to judge by the numerous traces of houses and walls) a sharp ascent leads to the entrance of the principal group of buildings of the castle. Here it is evident a more important method of defence was adopted than at the barbican. A kind of two-storied tower was built against the side of a precipice of rock. The gateway under this tower was in the wall at right angles with the cliff. From this gateway a drawbridge descended on to a platform across a chasm in the ledge of rocks on which the tower-like structure is built. This tower and entrance are now completely shattered by falls of rock from the cliffs above; until recently the arrangement for working the drawbridge could be traced in the masonry within the gate. This gate-tower is a vaulted structure.
The large group of buildings within the Main Guard comprises many which are roofless and a few chambers still covered with vaulting, all in the usual XIIIth century style. They are of little architectural character or interest - mere utilitarian structures in rubble masonry with cut freestone for arches and groins. Their most remarkable feature is the trace of high gabled roofs where vaulting was not used. The gables still stand intact in several places, but there is little trace of the material which covered the roofs. As the castle has evidently been systematically dismantled, the roof covering, if of tiles, may have been carefully removed, or it may have been of thatch, a material still used for the purpose on the opposite coast. It is at least curious that no evidence of the roof covering remains in the debris on the site.
Amongst these buildings of the XIIIth century, recalling the Europe of the Middle Ages, stand the souvenirs of the earlier Byzantine style. Of the ancient monastery of St. Hilarion the church has been most religiously preserved by the castle builders. Not only was it retained for the use of the new occupants of the site, but the large dome which covered it, and which must have shown signs of failure, has been most carefully strengthened with supports in the fine masonry of the XIIIth century.
The altar stood under an arched space at the east end, and from the east wall a central apse with a sort of semi-circular niche on either side projected. Unlike the Gothic work of the XIIIth century, with its finely jointed masonry, the church was built in the old Byzantine manner with 'tile bricks' (about 5 cm. thick) and mortar joints of equal thickness. Courses of rubble stonework are also introduced at intervals in the height of the walls. The dome has entirely disappeared.
On the north of the church are the remains of a chamber with an apsidal termination eastwards. In the curve of the apse were two or perhaps three small apsidal niches. This portion of the remains has unfortunately been much obscured recently (approx. 1915) by well meant but injudicious restoration in the last century (around 1915).
Other features of this group of buildings are a perhaps unique 'belvedere' with a vaulted ceiling and open sides, evidently constructed for the purpose of enjoying the extensive view, and an immense cistern capable of containing the greater part of the pluvial water supply of the castle. The cisterns of the castle are numerous and of large size. In addition to the one here mentioned, two very large tanks were constructed against the wall of the bailey, and another on the upper plateau or 'keep', besides numerous smaller ones in different parts. In this portion of the castle the style of building is substantial and superior to that of the great enceinte. Architectural features with the exception of a few moulded corbels are non-existent, the only trace of decoration is a dim fragment of mural painting (the Annunciation) which remains over the arch of a little oratory built against the north side of the church.
Section 3:
The only means of access to the upper plateau of the castle, the portion corresponding to the 'keep' or last line of defence in ordinary medieval fortification, is by climbing an exceedingly steep ascent of several hundred metres in length. Earthquakes and falls of rock and earth from above may have changed the condition of this means of access to what was evidently intended as a royal residence. In 1904 a series of rough steps were cut to facilitate a visit to this upper plateau, but no traces of any more convenient path or of any regular staircase were then discovered.
On the west side of this upper courtyard, facing the entrance, stands the royal residence and chief architectural feature of the whole castle. It is a long and somewhat narrow building of two stories arranged in such a manner as to fit in between the two perpendicular cliffs which form the north and south sides of this square courtyard. The west wall of the royal lodging is built on the edge of a precipitous slope which forms a natural defence on that side and affords a stupendous view over the district of Lapta and the coast of Turkey. The lower story is vaulted.
This palace or royal residence is a remarkable piece of architectural art considering its position. A certain effect of luxury is apparent in the elegantly designed windows of the upper story (two examples are still preserved) and in the disposition of a projecting wooden gallery forming a communication between the chambers on the side facing the court. The upper story and the external gallery were approached by a wide staircase (now much ruined) from the courtyard at the north-east corner, and a small internal staircase also existed at the south end. A small postern leads out of the lower story on to the precipitous slope of the west side. This portion of the ruins is unfortunately much shattered, but the east wall is intact. A curious 'Lady's Bower' projects at one end.
This is a place to sit and imagine the pomp and colour of the Lusignan court in residence on the 'roof of the world'. |
